by Cara E Holt
He slowly looks me up and down before taking a swig of his drink. He places his drink down on the table and continues to stare intensely at me. Slowly he stands and as he walks past me he grasps his hand around mine. “Come on.”
I shake my head in puzzlement as I allow him to pull me along the dark and crowded room. He opens a door and continues through, pulling me along with him.
“Do you mind telling me where we are going?” I ask him, my voice full of irritation.
He leads me up some stairs that feel like they go on forever until we reach a set of ladders that lead to a hatch in the roof. He lets go of my hand and climbs up and with a few choice swear words under my breath; I follow him up. I feel the breeze of air as he opens the hatch. As I reach the top of the ladders, his hand appears in front of me and I take it and allow him to help to pull me up.
I am about to ask him where the hell we are going when I take in where we are and look open mouthed at the surrounding view.
“This is.., wow.” We are standing on the top of a hill that although it is dark looks out across nothing but hills and rolling countryside. The stars in the sky are shining bright and clear.
Cort sits down on the grass. He reaches in his pocket, pulling out a cigarette. I sit down beside him and look out at the view.
“Are we even allowed up here?”
Cort smirks and looks side-ways at me. “You don’t strike me as someone who worries about rules.”
He offers me his cigarette and I shake my head. “Vellity is wearing her pink dress just for you tonight.”
Cort smiles a lazy smile and blows rings of smoke from his mouth into the night sky. “Vellity’s not my type.” He informs me.
“Why not?” I ask him, studying him. “She’s pretty and well you’re a guy.”
Cort smirks and his eyes meet mine. “I have a particular taste, she’s not it.”
I bring my knees into my chest, resting my head on them. “You picked the wrong person to be a feeder for by the way. I have to feed three times a day. I have a big appetite.”
He continues studying me, and I squirm under his scrutiny. “We’ll have to arrange a schedule that fits around my duties if that is the case.”
“Or they could allocate me another feeder.” I suggest, hopefully.
“Rules are rules, Lara.”
“It’s ‘E’ Lara.” I tell him, emphasising the E.
He flicks his cigarette out into the night and stands up. “You coming?” he asks and not knowing how to find my way back, I have no choice but to follow him.
As soon as we get back to the club, Cort heads straight for the bar and orders us both drinks. He doesn’t even ask me what I want.
Vellity spots us from over on the dance floor and waves frantically. She grabs Laina’s hand and heads our way.
“Incoming.” I warn Cort as I lean against the bar, watching them.
Cort turns his head and when he sees them he groans and quickly turns back round to face the bar. It looks like he really meant what he said about Vellity not being his type.
“Hey, Elara. Hey Cort.” Vellity says, breathless, having practically sprinted over here. She flicks her hair over her shoulder and tries to look composed and alluring. “Hey Cort, do you want to dance?”
He looks at her, his expression blank. “I don’t dance.”
Vellity giggles and playfully slaps his arm. “Everyone dances. What do you say?”
He rolls his eyes and looks away bored and Vellity’s face drops in disappointment and I can’t help but feel for her.
“He’s probably a terrible dancer, with no rhythm,” I tell her.
Cort quirks a brow. “You think I don’t have rhythm?”
“Just calling it how I see it.” I tell him, my eyes challenging him to show me otherwise.
With a smirk he puts his bottle down on the bar and before I can protest, he grabs my hand and begins pulling me towards the dance floor.
“Whoa, there, it’s Vellity who wanted to dance.”
He looks over his shoulder at me with a determined grin. “But you were the one who challenged me and now I will make you eat your words.” He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me flush against him, taking my breath from my lungs. He moves his hips, moving me with him. I take back what I have just said. Cort could move. I look over my shoulder at where we left Vellity and Laina at the bar. Poor Vellity is standing with her arms folded, glowering at my back.
“Great, now she hates me. Please humour her one dance.”
He looks over at Vellity with a bored expression. “I’ll do you a deal. You have this dance with me and I’ll dance with sugar tits over there?”
I arch a brow. “Sugar tits?”
He smirks and winks. “Yeah you know, all glitter and pink. Sugar tits, whereas you ..,” he says looking down at my cleavage. “You’re...”
I cover his mouth with my hand. “I refuse to allow you to nickname my tits.”
He grins wickedly as I remove my hand. “Okay, no worries cherry tits.”
“Cherry?” I ask him, both amused and intrigued.
“Yeah because when they’re hard they look like fine ripe cherries.”
I shove at his chest but he barely moves and I remain flush against his body. “You have never seen my nipples hard?”
He smirks and looks down at my boobs. “They’re hard now, Lara. I wonder why that is?”
I shove him, just as the song ends. “It’s cold, that’s why,” I tell him as I pull away from him. I wrap my arms over my chest. “I danced with you, now go and dance with Vellity.”
I leave the dance floor and walk off in a different direction to where Vellity and Laina are standing. I find Rafe standing over by the side of the dance floor, drink in hand, people watching.
“You and Cort looked cosy over there.” He states, studying me.
“Cort and I will never be cosy. I agreed to a dance to get him to dance with Vellity.” I look across the dance floor and Cort has honoured our deal, Vellity is grinding her ass against his front and looking like all her Christmases have come at once.
Rafe laughs as he clocks them. “Vellity’s not his type.”
“So what is his type?” I ask curiously. I mean Vellity was a pretty girl, she had curves in all the right places and strawberry blonde hair that fell effortlessly in waves.
“You. You’re his type Elara.”
I snort and look at him in shock. “Me? No. Cort does not like me. He barely tolerates my company.”
Rafe nods, smiling to himself. “You’re all dark and mysterious, just like him.”
I straighten my back and shake my head. “I’m also in love with someone.”
Rafe shrugs his shoulders as we both continue to watch Vellity grinding all over Cort, who is looking around the room, bored.
“He would have to choose between you and his family. Could you live with that? To have him walk away from his family.” Rafe sighs when he sees my anger at his statement. “Look Elara. I like Drayce. He’s a great guy and even I admit, he seems to care about you a lot, but can you honestly ask him to walk away from everyone he’s ever loved and the only life he’s ever known for you?”
“I need the ladies.” I tell him, fleeing from his knowing stare. I hadn’t really given a lot of thought to the sacrifice Drayce would have to make to be with me. Rafe was right though, he would have to walk away from his family. They would disown him and he wouldn’t see his brothers again, or his nephews who he adored so much. Could I really ask that of him?
I wake the next morning with a thumping bad head. Rafe’s comment had really gotten to me last night, and I had downed more alcohol than I should have. Vellity is already awake and full of the joys of spring. How she has so much energy so early in the morning beggars belief.
“I had the dirtiest dreams about Cort last night.”
I groan and cover my head with my pillow. “I don’t want to know, I already feel sick as it is.”
“Do you think he might ask
me out?” She asks me.
“Why don’t you ask him out?” I pause, thinking how best to advise her. “He doesn’t like pink. He likes girls that dress a bit more edgy.”
“Edgy.” She taps her chin. “I can do edgy. Are you coming for breakfast?”
I shake my head. “Not yet. I have something I need to do first.”
She bounds out of the room like a woman on a mission. With a heavy sigh, I shower and dress in the society colours of grey combats and a long-sleeved black top and tie my hair into a messy bun and I make my way to the training arena.
He’s the only one in there when I arrive. He is firing balls of flame at digital attackers that appear on the screen in front of him. He hits every time, never missing. I walk down the steps into the ring and come up behind him. He turns on the balls of his feet and I see a ball of flames hurtling towards me. Using my vampire speed, I roll to the floor and it goes over my head, missing me by an inch.
“Fucker! What if that had hit me?” I hiss at him.
He grins and wipes his hands on his pants. “I knew you’d move in time. Ready for breakfast?” he asks me. He takes a seat on the floor and leaning back on his hands, gestures to his lap and winks.
“Can you at least wipe yourself down?” I ask him. I gesture at his sweaty chest.
Cort looks at me and grinning he shakes his head. Arsehole.
“Then I guess I will have to starve.” I tell him and I turn to leave.
“Hold up.” He says in a deadpan tone. I turn around to find him drying his chest and neck with a towel. “Dig in.”
Reluctantly and doing everything I can to avoid his teasing eyes, I walk over to him and climb onto his lap. Feeling every shade of awkward, I continue to avoid his eyes as he leans his head to the side and exposes his neck. I rest my hands on his shoulders to give me some stability and then I sink my fangs into his flesh and drink. Immediately his hands go around my waist and I’m sure I hear him whisper my name. This felt all kinds of wrong. I felt like I was betraying Drayce, every single time I fed from him. I was betraying Drayce. I know how I would feel if I saw him in this position with another girl, but I needed to feed and for now Cort was my only option until I could find Merrick and convince him to assign me a different feeder.
I lean up when I am finished and wipe my mouth, to make sure I do not have any of his blood dripping down my chin, because well, that would be awkward.
Cort looks at me with glazed eyes for a few moments before he clears his throat. “What are your plans for the day?”
I climb off his lap, needing to create distance, and I shrug. “Merrick said he’d give me a few days to settle in, but if I’m honest I had nothing to do but sit around in the prison. I need to be active, to feel useful.” I frown and cross my arms around myself. “My mind wanders to places I’m not ready to visit when I’m bored.”
“I can understand that.” He sighs and wipes his forehead. “Has anyone taught to fight using both your hybrid powers?”
I shake my head and toe the ground with my boot. “I didn’t exactly have many hybrids around to teach me.”
“I could teach you?”
I look up, unsure if I have just heard him right. “You’d teach me? What’s the catch?”
He chuckles and holds his hands up in mock surrender. “There’s no catch. I think if you are to become part of this community then you need to be able to fight and defend yourself and using both of your powers makes you twice as hard to beat.”
I remain silent for a minute, my head bobbing as I consider his offer. I hold out my hand to him. “Deal.”
A half-smile ghosts his face as he reaches out and clasps my hand in his. “Deal. We’ll train every evening at six.”
“I’ll have to check my busy schedule.” I reply with a grin.
“Sure you will.” He comments as he slings his towel over his shoulder. “I need to go get showered. Do you want to come join me after when my squad meet to plan our latest rescue mission?”
“Yes!” I say straight away, coming across way too eager and pathetic. I compose myself and find him smiling in amusement at me. “Yes, I’d like that.” I say in a much more calm voice.
“I’ll meet you in the main foyer in half an hour.”
“I’ll be there!” I shout after him as he heads towards the exit of the arena. Finally, I had something to do in this place.
BREAKING THE RULES
A half hour later I am leaning casually against a huge stone pillar waiting for Cort to arrive. When he eventually shows up, he has a girl in tow. A pretty blonde who looks like she belongs on the cover of a high-end fashion magazine. She is tall and slender, with legs that seem to go on forever and the leather trousers she wears cling to her tiny frame.
“I have been dying to meet you.” She tells me, smiling warmly. She grabs my hands and clasps them in her own. “I’m Eretreya.” She looks me up and down and starts walking around me, assessing me. I follow her with my eyes, frowning in puzzlement. “I can see it now. I’m thinking leather, maybe navy blue, with silver detailing.”
My eyes find Cort and he must see the question in my eyes.
“They have assigned Eretreya to design your wardrobe, you know for your media image.”
“IF I agree to do it.” I tell him, emphasising the ‘if’
I jump slightly when Eretreya places her hands around my waist. “We need to highlight your tiny waist. You can come to my studio tomorrow morning after the second breakfast sitting. We’ll make a start then.” She turns away from me, dismissing me and drops a kiss on Cort’s cheek. “I must go. I need to start sketching.”
We both stand there in silence as we watch her walk away. She was like a bundle of energy that bounded up and then left as quickly as she arrived.
“She is interesting.” I state and this earns me a laugh from Cort.
“Eretreya is passionate about what she does. Fashion and design is everything to her.”
“Is she your girlfriend?” I find myself asking him.
He scoffs and shakes his head. “Mother goddess no! Eretreya is far too high maintenance for me.”
Cort gestures with his head for me to follow him and we head towards the lifts situated over to our left. I don’t think I will ever be able to find myself around this place; it was huge and like a rabbit warren, with its many floors and corridors running off from the main foyer.
We take a good ten minutes to reach our destination, which is a room that looks a little like what you’d expect to see in a detective movie. There is a round table in the centre of the room and a large screen on the wall over to the right. To the left is a large clear wall that has some photos pinned up. About four other people are already here, and they all look at me in curiosity when I enter behind Cort.
“You brought fresh meat.” Grins a guy with a bushy ginger beard who watches my every step.
“Everyone, this is Elara. She’s observing our meeting this morning. That ginger fucker is Leith.” Cort then points over to a girl with her hair every colour of the rainbow, with various facial piercings who looks seriously bad-ass. “Renna.” The man next to her has dark stubble around his jawline and bulging biceps that would give The Rock a run for his money. “This is Nero.” He ruffles the hair of the last guy as he passes him. He is oriental with jet black hair and a chiselled jaw line. “This good-looking bastard is Jun.”
Jun winks at me, his eyes flashing with amber.
“Shifter?” I ask him as I take the only other empty seat beside Cort.
Jun nods. “Puma,” he informs me. “Mixed with a little Fae.”
“Okay, what do we have?” Cort asks, sitting forward in his chair and getting straight to business.
Leith picks the small remote up off the table and flicks the screen on. The image on the screen is the outside of a club.
“Trance. A well-known hangout for the Fae and owned by the one and only Tabatha of the unseelie court. My sources tell me they have hybrids as slaves who they force to fight to
the death in matches that Tabatha and her guests make lots of money from.”
“That’s awful.” I say out loud and suddenly find everyone looking at me.
“Just another day in the bigoted world we live in sweetie,” Renna tells me with a wink. “How many hybrids do we think they have enslaved?”
Leith shrugs. “It could be anywhere between eight to twelve. My source wasn’t a hundred percent sure.”
“I think we are better if we hit this place during the day,” Nero comments from where he sits spinning a small coin on the table.
“I disagree I think we should go in the early hours, about three in the morning. That way most of the clients will be totally wasted on nightshade or amber nectar. They will be easier to take out.” Jun argues.
“Why not send a hybrid in under cover?” I say and I chew on my lip when they all look at me in interest.
“Go on,” Jun encourages.
“Well, why not allow a hybrid to fall purposefully into their lap? They can then plant slumber blossom in the air con systems, thus taking everyone out without having to lift a finger,” I suggest. Slumber blossom was a flower that grew in the fae lands and when inhaled it would send you to sleep within seconds.
Jun nods, looking impressed with my idea. “Who is this girl?” He asks Cort.
“I haven’t figured her out just yet.” Cort replies, watching me intense expression on his face.
“We could be in and out without them ever realising we were there, especially if we take their camera’s down,” Nero comments.
“Why wouldn’t you want them to know you were there?” I ask curiously. “I’d walk up to their camera and mouth H.D.S as I gave them the finger.”
Renna breaks out in laughter, her head tipping back as she holds her belly. “Girl, you are feisty.” She looks to Cort. “Please tell me she is joining one of the rescue squads? We need more like her.”
Cort fights a smile before shaking his head. “Merrick has plans for Elara and it’s too dangerous, the bounty on her head is huge.”
“It is a nice head,” Jun says with a wink and a smile.